Troubled by our unjust society

When I see the boxes for food banks in supermarkets and shops like Harvest on Walcot Street I wonder how best to end them.

By giving food we effectively allow the Conservative Party’s ironically named ‘enlightenment’ to continue as some kind of cruel twist on Dickens. By not giving, those in need lose out.

Article 22 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights states, “Everyone as a member of society has the right to realise the economic, cultural and social rights indispensable for their dignity”.

The problem with the Conservatives’ enlightenment is that the food banks are not a right, the essentials the banks provide are subject to the generosity of local people who suffer the burden of the Conservatives’ unwillingness to provide for those in need, not because they believe by giving they will change the Conservatives.

Article 25 states “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for their health and wellbeing, especially mothers and children” but again that right does not exist in the UK.

Where does a conscience come from about this sort of thing? Some turn to religions but there are so many juxtapositions.

Christians are often involved in food banks but Jesus is reported to have said “The poor will always be with you” as if denying the rights the UN declaration stipulates, (for Sue Pilgrim’s benefit:- Matt 26:11, John 12:11 and Mark 14:7). The Hindu Krishna temple in London hands out free food but the caste system denies the right to egalitarian values.

Thirty five years ago I was a member of the Conservative party because Labour seemed to prefer Soviet Russia to Democratic America.

Now the bread queues Russia was famous for are here in the UK for some, simply because of the meanness of Conservatives. Given a choice, I would prefer a secular UN view of human rights to the endless squabbling among religious as to what their gurus meant

by what they said. Human rights are an essential part of democracy to prevent the tyranny of the majority that populists thrive on. Nicholas Hales

Bath